My "Run Away Little Boy"
by ELM1
Summary: This starts out with the rehearsal scene in "Run Away Little Boy" that takes place in Stars Hollow. I'm a trory, so I've changed the story in Part 2. R&R. Thanks roomie for introducing me to this world!
1. Rehearsal

Rory. She's so beautiful. DuGray, you're staring at her. You can't show your cards, yet. Pry your eyes away now! You can't let Paris see how much you like her. Then Paris will really hate her, and Rory will get mad at you, so stop staring! Tristan walked through the door to the studio in Star's Hollow where they were rehearsing their act of Romeo and Juliet. His heart was fluttering around his stomach as he was confronted by Paris, of course it wasn't Paris who made who made his heart sprout wings and bang against his ribs. Paris was just the one chewing him out for being late. Tristan didn't hear a word she was saying. His eyes had immediately centered on the only person left on this planet that he cared about. Rory. Will you ever realize how much I care about you? Probably not...  
  
Paris breaks up his reverie by bellowing, "People! Let's start NOW! Do I have to lead you people around by your noses in order to get anything done? Move it! We've got just enough time to run through the last scene, if you get your butts in gear!"  
  
Tristan looked up, and straight into Dean's eyes. A surge of white-hot anger swept through Tristan, which he successfully hid from everyone in the room. He doesn't deserve her. He toys with her emotions. He says he loves her, and then hangs her out to dry. What an ass.  
  
Tristan snatched himself away from his thoughts just in time to jump on stage before Paris realized how slowly he was reacting. Rory was already up there, flat on her back on the metal slab. Boy, that has gotta be uncomfortable. Tristan used a small part of his brain to say his lines, drinking the poison, running through his part. But his mind was centered on the beauty of the girl lying in front of him. He carefully analyzed his feelings for Rory. I've never felt this way about any of my ex- girlfriends. There is something special here. Something we didn't even make a dent in the surface of with that one kiss at Madeline's party. Then, he realized, I can't kiss her here now. We're not ready, and she's still dating him. Tristan started talking out loud about their kiss at the party, his subconscious realizing that by doing this they never get as far as the kiss scene. The irony was that this was going to hurt Tristan the most. Rory is going to be furious, but she'll calm down as soon she realizes Bag Boy has no idea what I was talking about; he will just be confused, but Rory isn't going to forget about me doing this for a long time.  
  
Rory couldn't believe her ears when Tristan started talking about them kissing at the party. Blood thudded in her ears along with the roaring of her heart. How dare he! I specifically pleaded with him not to do this. After everything I've gone through with Dean. And now this! She completely forgot that she was supposed to be dead. Sitting straight up, asking him, pleading with him, "What are you doing?" She wasn't sure exactly what happened, but suddenly he was gone, walking incredibly quickly out the door. He leaves so fast someone could think he was the one who had been hurt! Rory left the stage, grabbing Dean by the arm, and left as well. Paris indignantly screaming after them about how horrible they were.  
  
Oh boy, this is worse than I thought. She's incredibly mad! This hurts too much, I have to get out of here! With that, he strides out the door, grabbing his jacket on the way. He knew he wasn't coming back here tonight. And he definitely needed some kind of outlet for the grief building inside of him. She probably doesn't even realize how much this has hurt me. 


	2. Post-Rehearsal (creative, huh?)

It was a dark and stormy night... God! I'm thinking in clichés. Tristan was slinking through the deepest shadows of the road on his way to break into a vault with some of his Chilton friends. He had tracked them down at the country club poolroom after the disastrous rehearsal. Calm down DuGray, it's not like you haven't done this sort of thing before. You've done this many, many times. Just keep your cool. Why does it suddenly feel as if my stomach has sunk to the close proximity of my toes? What was I thinking when I started talking about us kissing at the party? That definitely was NOT the way to convince Rory how much I care about her. She asked me NOT to; you're such an idiot Tristan. DuGray! If you can't keep a certain gorgeous brunette out of your mind, you're going to get caught, and that would NOT be cool. Tristan stopped in his tracks. The guys slinking along behind Tristan ran into him.  
  
"What's up with you DuGray? Why'd you stop? Come on, let's do this!"  
  
"Yeah, let's go DuGray. You aren't getting cold feet, are you?"  
  
"What do you mean is he getting cold feet? DuGray never gets cold feet! You better take that back idiot!"  
  
"No, he's right." I'm risking too much by doing this. The old Tristan would've done this because he had nothing to lose, but the new Tristan has lots to lose. I'll never be able to show Rory how much I care about her if my parents send me off to a distant hell hole, because I got caught robbing some vault of valuables I don't want or need, because I couldn't think straight thanks to an incredibly unique, perfect brunette saying, 'I hate him!" A small nagging voice in his mind was saying, 'and you do deserve her?' "I have to go."  
  
I have to find Rory; I have to talk to her. I know I have to take it slow, so I don't scare her away. But I have to get the wheels turning in her mind. Wait! DuGray, you're still not thinking straight! You have a perfect opportunity to start the wheels turning when you kiss her as Romeo! It isn't possible that she could miss the electricity that passes between us when we kiss. Even with only one kiss, I know it's there. Which is why I know she's not just another conquest. This girl is different.  
  
********************  
  
"Dean, please! Why do you want to come to this play? It's just a bunch of high school students trying to get an A in a class."  
  
"Well, my girlfriend is going to be Juliet, what other reason do I need?" Besides punching in that pretty boys face if he tries anything.  
  
"Please, Dean, I don't want you to come. I don't need any distractions during the performance." Why does he have to be so stubborn about this?  
  
"I'm coming to watch you, so it's pointless to argue." Why doesn't she want me to come? She doesn't want me to see Tristan kissing her. Something is going on with them. She may not admit it, but there is something between them. I have to be there; I can't keep her in my possession if that rich asshole doesn't know I'm keeping my eyes open and on him.  
  
"Fine. I'll see you later." What an ass. The unbidden thought lasted for a second before she banished it, wondering why something told her something horrible would happen if Dean came.  
  
"Bye."  
  
Rory walks toward home and away from the encounter with stubborn old Dean. Gosh! Why does he have to be so difficult? He's insecure about me kissing Tristan. I can see it in his eyes. Little does he know, there is little chance that I will ever fall for Tristan. She'd had a hard day at school too. It took a lot of effort to restrain herself from stabbing Tristan in the back. The play is tomorrow... And we haven't even rehearsed the final scene yet. The final scene... The scene where Tristan kisses me. Why am I worried about Tristan kissing me...? In front of Dean. She had wanted to hurt Tristan in some horribly, painful way when he was spouting off about their first kiss at the party, but a tiny part of herself she hadn't know existed was relieved that was going to be out in the open. So what, why should I care if Dean found out. He HAD just broken up with me. It's not like the kiss meant anything... A tiny part of Rory's brain was telling her she was kidding anyone but herself.  
  
***************************  
  
"Where is that boy!?! He was supposed to be here 5 hours ago, so we could run through our scene 10 times before we got on stage! We go on in two minutes and he still isn't here!" Paris paces back stage looking like she is ready to chew bullets and spit them back out as metal shards of an unknown origin.  
  
"Paris, calm down. He'll be here two seconds before we go on! You know he will." And if he's not, Paris will come up with something. She always does. Where is he anyway? I mean its not like I'm going to cry if he doesn't show up to kiss me, right? Let's stop going down this line of thought Rory, before you fall in a pit you can't climb out of and hurt Dean again.  
  
"And look he deems us worthy to be seen in his presence. About time you got here, boy! You're 4 hours and 59 minutes late! You've got 1 minute to get on your costume, and get your butt on stage with us."  
  
"Nice to see you too Paris. I'll just go get changed now." Tristan looks curiously neutral about Paris' raving, of course he doesn't usually let much get under his skin.  
  
Rory just shrugged her shoulders, pulling on her own costume. Tristan hid his disappointment at Rory's lack of emotion. Of course, there was the possibility that she was using all her control to hide her nervousness about their forthcoming kiss. So, Tristan thought about the chances leading up to this kiss. If I hadn't had an ex in every other group, I probably wouldn't have this opportunity now. Of course, no one pointed out that I had an ex in this group too. Even if Paris and I didn't go out for very long. Maybe Rory would finally figure out how deeply he cared about her. Tristan snuck a glance at Rory in her Juliet costume. God, she's gorgeous. His heart contracted painfully in his chest every time he looked her. How on Earth did I fall for this girl? If I finally fell for someone after all the girls that were no more than another notch on my belt, it shows just how wonderful Rory must be. 


	3. A Shakespeare Kiss

Author note: I'm really glad I've gotten some positive feedback for this story. I don't know if I would have had the courage to continue it if I didn't get that feedback! Anyway, thanks a lot, and this one is for the Trory's out there. And it will only become more Trory from here on out. Thanks! PS-I'll use this font for their thoughts, hopefully it goes through to the sites, unlike the italics that didn't!  
  
  
  
The group mounted the stage to a hushed expectation from the crowd. Everyone who knew anything expected a good show from this group that had Chilton's top students in it. Of course, the group themselves had no idea that they would have the best presentation all night. They wanted to get through their lines, get an A, and go flop into their beds at home. All of them but one. The last thing on his mind was bed or a grade.  
  
Oh no. What am I going to do? Well. This is one time when I can stick to the script, and it'll work for me. Alright DuGrey. Just stick to the script. Stick to the script. Stick to the script. Just keep telling yourself that, and maybe you'll actually do it! Grrr! This is not a big deal, it's not like it's your first kiss or anything. Just do it, and worry about what is going to happen afterwards when the time comes.  
  
He wiped his palms on his pants, not registering how sweaty in they were in his mind. It had become commonplace for his palms to be sweaty since he met Rory.  
  
Drink the poison, DuGray. Now, it's time for the kiss. Can I do this? Yes, I can! I have to go through with this if I want things to ever change between us. Tristan looks at Rory. She's in character, looking completely dead and innocent with that death. He was allowed to have a few moments to drink in her features unnoticed, since his character was supposed to be doing the same thing anyway. Even Dean couldn't have any objection to this kiss. Bag Boy will always be able to find a reason to be worried. He's so insecure it's almost funny. But now that I've met Rory, I'm just as insecure as he is. Tristan took his time moving in for the kiss, mentally preparing himself for the shock that would come when they touched. Their lips came together in a colossal landslide of energy, and the cosmos themselves seemed to reverberate with the contact. Tristan, who had known this would come, was still amazed at the shock that came when their lips finally met, seeming to lock perfectly together. He knew he would never find the same fit with anyone else, and that scared him.  
  
Rory had no idea when the kiss would finally come. She felt Tristan's warm breath on her face as he came in for the kiss. Of course, since she was dead, she wasn't really supposed to kiss him back. But the shock that spread through her when the kiss came made it impossible to not react to the intensity she was feeling. She was returning his kiss without realizing it, making both their heart rates speed up. The kiss seemed to last for an eternity, but it seemed too short at the same time. The audience got a glimpse of the perfect theatre kiss, full of everything that the perfect kiss should be full of (passion, tenderness, love, and promise). It looked to perfect to Dean, watching from his spot in the back of the theater. When Tristan got the energy and nerve to break off the kiss, both of them felt disappointment at how short it had been. Rory was amazed at the intensity of her feelings, and Tristan was drained from holding himself back from asking for more; he stored the memory away, so that he could recall the moment when he needed it.  
  
The closing of their act streaked by. Neither Rory nor Tristan took any notice of anything that happened after their kiss. They didn't notice the thunderous applause of the audience as they disembarked from the stage, isolated in their own hazes of reality versus fantasy. And neither had the willpower to break out of the haze. They wouldn't even turn to each other for fear of what they'd see in the other eyes.  
  
She kissed me back. That wasn't in the script. I wonder why she kissed me back. Is it possible that she finally felt the connection between us?  
  
I don't understand what's going on. I have Dean, and I love him. Right? Okay, maybe I just told him that to keep him from running away, leaving me alone again. But Tristan? Where did these feelings for him come from? And why, on Earth, did I kiss him back?  
  
Tristan definitely would have been hurt if he dared to look in Rory's eyes. She was hurt, and that would send him on a trail of self-incrimination. But, if Rory had dared to look into Tristan's eyes she would have seen the care he had for her shining brightly in his deep, beautiful blue eyes. Maybe seeing that emotion would speed up the fate that awaited them when she finally cleared up her feelings and thoughts.  
  
Paris finally broke into their veiled thoughts by walking up and saying, "That was good, but I know it could've been better." She left it at that. Walking away like a person who had a million other things to do before rest would come, but in a good mood despite that.  
  
Rory, feeling a need to fill the silence that ensued after Paris' departure, said, "You did a good job tonight." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she knew Tristan would use any innuendo teasing her about enjoying the kiss.  
  
"Thanks," it was the first thing that came into his mind, so he said it, and he meant it.  
  
Rory was surprised when he didn't make fun of her. But the only outward sign she made of her surprise was to arch an eyebrow. Tristan noticed the tiny gesture, and hoped she would mull over the few words they had spoken. She might realize that he wasn't acting like a jerk anymore. Then, maybe, just maybe, he'd have a chance with her. Meanwhile, he needed to get away from her, before he grabbed her to hold against him, reveling in the way their bodies seemed to mesh together. He murmured a hasty, "See you tomorrow," and took his leave from Chilton's crowded theatre.  
  
*******  
  
After Tristan left, Rory set out to find her mom. She pivoted to head toward the back of the crowded theatre, and ran right into a chest. Looking up, she saw that the chest belonged to Dean. And he wasn't looking at her happily. Rory gave a mental grimace, and knew she was about to get grueled about Tristan.  
  
"Hey Dean." She said feigning happiness.  
  
"Rory, I'm only going to ask you one more time. What is up with you and Tristan?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Don't feign ignorance. You know everything that goes on. That kiss seemed just a little too real and too long."  
  
"I knew this was going to bother you. If you remember, I asked you not to come, repeatedly."  
  
"Do you love me?" he asked deciding to switch to another subject that was equally as touchy.  
  
"I. Uh. I don't know."  
  
"Do you hate him?"  
  
"I assume 'him' is Tristan?" At his almost imperceptible nod she replied "No."  
  
"Do you love him?"  
  
"I don't know." Rory said the words before she thought about what she was going to say. And she was surprised by her answer, but only for a second. Then, she admitted to herself that she didn't know what was going on, but she did know that there was more to her relationship with Tristan than she had discovered yet. She sensed the kiss they'd shared today was just the tip of the iceberg, and much was hidden below the surface of the seemingly calm waters. "Dean, I think we should break up. Our relationship didn't go back to the way it was before you broke up with me. You've been untrusting and entirely too demanding." She said those words without thinking about them either, but she wasn't that surprised when they came out, and she knew them for the truth.  
  
He acted like he was going to say something for a moment, his mouth gaping open like a fish that had been caught hook, line, and sinker. In the end, he only shut his mouth and stalked off.  
  
I hope we can be friends eventually. He's not a bad guy, he's just a bad boyfriend. Rory almost snickered to herself, and was surprised that she felt curiously free. She wasn't that upset. She actually felt more like a bird whose wings had been clipped too long, and was now soaring free again.  
  
She resumed her search in the back for her mom. 


End file.
